Los Angeles, California
Tree Removal and Tree Service in Los Angeles
In the City of Los Angeles, four kinds of native tree and two native shrubs are protected once they reach four inches in trunk diameter. Removing one from your own yard without a permit from the Board of Public Works is a violation.
- County
- Los Angeles
- Tree rules
- Urban Forestry Division, Bureau of Street Services, and the Board of Public Works
- Key local rule
- Permit required to remove a protected native tree or shrub of 4 inches cumulative diameter or more, and any street tree
- Electric utility
- Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
- Main hazards
- Santa Ana wind, winter storms on saturated slopes, wildfire, invasive borers
The protected tree and shrub ordinance
The city's ordinance protects native oaks, including valley oak and coast live oak, Southern California black walnut, western sycamore and California bay. It also protects two native shrubs, toyon and Mexican elderberry. Protection begins at four inches of cumulative trunk diameter measured 4.5 feet above the ground.
No one may remove or relocate a protected tree or shrub without first obtaining a permit from the Board of Public Works. Applications go to the Urban Forestry Division, normally with a report from a qualified tree expert, and approved removals require replacement plantings.
The rule applies on private residential lots, not only on development sites. It applies in the City of Los Angeles. Unincorporated county areas follow the county's oak tree ordinance, and cities such as Pasadena, Santa Monica, Glendale and Burbank have their own.
Which Los Angeles trees need a permit
| Tree | Permit to remove? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Protected native tree or shrub, 4 inches or more | Yes, from the Board of Public Works | Applies in front and back yards alike |
| Street tree in the parkway | Yes | City trees. Pruning by the owner also needs a permit. |
| Non-native yard tree, such as ficus, jacaranda, pine or palm | Generally no | Check hillside, coastal and historic overlay rules |
| Any tree with an active bird nest | Work must wait | State and federal law protect nesting birds |
Flats, hills and canyons
On the flats, from the San Fernando Valley floor to South Los Angeles, the trees people ask about are planted ones: Indian laurel figs lifting sidewalks, Mexican fan palms 80 feet tall, jacarandas, camphors, and aging pines and eucalyptus.
In the hills and canyons, from the Santa Monica Mountains through Laurel Canyon to Mount Washington and Eagle Rock, native oaks, walnuts and sycamores grow on private lots. That is where the protected tree ordinance comes up most, often when someone plans an addition or a retaining wall near an oak.
Hillside streets are narrow and steep, and many lots have no vehicle access to the rear. Tree work there is slow and hand-carried.
Brush clearance in the fire hazard zone
- Who it covers
- Properties in the city's Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, which takes in most hillside neighborhoods.
- What is required
- The fire department's brush clearance rules call for clearing and thinning vegetation up to 200 feet from structures and trimming trees away from roofs and chimneys.
- Inspections
- The fire department inspects annually and follows up with owners who do not comply.
- Protected trees
- Clearance work must still respect the protected tree ordinance. Dead wood can be removed, but a live oak cannot be cut down for clearance without a permit.
What brings trees down in Los Angeles
Santa Ana wind
Dry gusts of 60 mph and more from the northeast. In January 2025 an extreme event toppled trees across the basin as fires burned.
Winter storms
After days of rain, shallow-rooted pines, eucalyptus and ficus fall whole, as in the storms of February 2024.
Summer limb drop
Large limbs of eucalyptus, oak and sycamore fail in hot, still weather.
Shothole borers
Invasive beetles that weaken sycamore, box elder, willow and others until limbs break.
First steps for a Los Angeles tree
- Plan it
The tree is an oak, walnut, sycamore or bay
Measure it. At four inches or more, start with the Urban Forestry Division.
- Act now
A tree fell on a house or is blocking the road
Emergency work comes first. Document it and notify the city afterward if the tree was protected or a street tree.
- This week
The parkway tree is damaged
Report it through 311.
- This week
You received a brush clearance notice
Complete the work by the deadline with a licensed contractor.
Los Angeles tree service questions
Can I remove an oak tree from my backyard in Los Angeles?
Not without a permit if it has four inches or more of trunk diameter. Native oaks are protected in the City of Los Angeles on private property.
Do I need a permit to trim the street tree in front of my house?
Yes. Street trees are city trees. Owners can obtain a permit to have one pruned by a qualified contractor, or request city service.
What license should a Los Angeles tree company have?
A California C-49 Tree and Palm Contractor license for all but the smallest jobs, plus workers' compensation coverage. Verify both on the state license board's website.
Does the rule cover my lot if my address says Los Angeles?
Only if you are inside the city limits. Many places with a Los Angeles mailing address are in unincorporated county territory or another city, each with its own tree rules.
Reach a tree service in Los Angeles
Call to be connected with an independent tree company that works in the Los Angeles area, or leave your number and one will call you back.
(844) 955-1716Call availability varies by area and time of day
Limbwright is a referral service. Your call goes to an independent tree service company that sets its own schedule and terms. Ask for proof of insurance and a written scope before work starts. How this works
Call now
Talk to a tree service provider in your area. Have the tree's location and what it is near ready.
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